Chronology of events
of the Zionist movement in the Soviet Union

USSR repudiates 1972 trade agreement with the United States.
A Novosti
commentary, "Soul Hunters" cites official data showing that
98.4% of Soviet Jews applying to leave have been granted
permission (11, p. 129).

10-01-1975

Andrei Sakharov is awarded the Nobel Prize.

27-01-1975

Over 100 Soviet Jews sign a letter to the West that Russian
rejection of 1972 trade agreement is due to US
Export-Import Bank credit limitations (Stevenson
Amendment), not Jackson-Vanik Amendment (DM) (11, p.
129).

A group of the British MPs table parliamentary motion
calling on Soviet authorities to commute M. Leviev’s death
sentence (11, p. 130).

11-02-1975

100 members of Belgian scientific community appeal to the
Soviet authorities to release Dr. Mikhail Stern. (11, p.
130).

12-02-1975

200 French political leaders, university professors, and
physicians including Jean-Paul Sartre appeal to the Soviet
authorities to release Dr. Mikhail Stern. (11, p. 130).

24-02-1975

Soviet Jews demonstrate outside the Lenin Library in Moscow
calling for the release of Jewish prisoners in the USSR and
freer emigration to Israel are detained by police. 10
refuseniks participated in the demonstration including Mark
Nashpits, Boris Tsitlenok, Joseph Beilin, Anatoly Sharansky.
Six were arrested for 15 days and Nashpits, Tsitlenok were
brought to criminal court, and Tsipin and Sharansky were
released (11, p. 130; 22, Natan Sharansky).

03-03-1975

Famous dissident, Viktor Krasin is given permission to
emigrate to Canada. (11, p. 118)

04-03-1975

The sculptor Ernest Neizvestny is expelled from the Union of
Soviet Artistsafter applying to emigrate to Israel.
(11, p.118)

05-03-1975

Sender Levinzon is arrested in Bendery on charges of having
committed economic crimes (11, p. 118).

98 activists from major cities begin a three day hunger
strike to protest against the verdict of Nashpits and
Tsitlonok. (DM) (11, p. 118).

01-04-1975

Alexander and Yevgeny Levich, sons of a famous Jewish
scientist Benjamin Levich, leave Moscow for Israel after a
three year struggle for exit visas. (11, p. 118).

05-04-1975

The physicists Dr. Grigory and Isai Goldstein from Tbilisi
are threatened with prosecution unless they cease demanding
permission to emigrate to Israel. On April 4th Jewish scientists who wish to leave the USSR participate in
Moscow seminar dedicated to the 50th
anniversary of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. (11,
p.118)

07-04-1975

Mikhail Agursky, son of Samuel Agursky, who was the founder
of Yevsektsiya (Jewish Section in the USSR) and the American
Communist Party, leaves the Soviet Union to Israel (11, p.
118-119).

12-04-1975

280 Jewish activists from 19 Soviet cities sign appeal to
Jewish organizations abroad demanding setting up a special
international commission to investigate violations of human
rights in the USSR over Jewish emigration. (11, p. 119).

13-04-1975

Day of Solidarity with Soviet Jews; Israel President Katzir
appeals to Kremlin leaders to end harassment of Jews who
wish to emigrate. 200 Jewish activists from various parts of
the USSR declare one day hunger strike. (11, p. 119).

13-04-1975

An estimated 125,000 people participate in New York
demonstration. marking Solidarity Day with Soviet Jewry.
(11, p. 119).

18-04-1975

Hunger strikes take place in 45 cities in Europe and America
in solidarity with the fasting Jewish activists Maria and
Vladimir Slepak and their son Alexander to protest against
their prolonged deprivation of exit visas to Israel (11, p.
119).

Dr. W.J. McGill, President of the Columbia University, said
that he will not “receive or deal with any visitors from the
Soviet Union” and will not carry out joint projects with
Soviet scientists until Vitaly Rubin, the Jewish sinologist,
is permitted to accept a teaching post at Columbia
University (11, p. 119).

Arrest of Anatoly Malkin for "evasion of military service”;
previously Malkin was expelled from an institute as a result
of filing for emigration to Israel (22, Dina Beilin).

01-06-1975

Sender Levinson of Bendery, Moldavia, is sentenced to six
years in a labor camp for “speculation” (DM). (11,
p.120)

06-06-1975

100 activists sent an appeal in defense of Malkin to U.S.
Senate and Congress.

06-06-1975

USSR Supreme Soviet adopts decree imposing a new tax of 30%
on money sent to Soviet citizens from abroad (11, p. 120,
DM).

14-06-1975

Lev Yagman, David Chernoglaz and Lassal Kaminsky, convicted
in the 1971 Leningrad trial, are freed following completion
of their five year sentences. ( 11, p. 120).

14-06-1975

In England the film "Calculated Risk” was shown; filmed in
Moscow with the participation of Anatoly Sharansky and
Vladmir Slepak.

15-06-1975

Activists in several cities held a hunger strike to protest
the sixth anniversary of the beginning of mass arrests in
1970 (25).

16-06-1975

38 Soviet Jewish activists, including Vitaly Rubin, Vladimir
Slepak, Victor Brailovsky and Mark Azbel appeal to the
International Pen Club and five prominent Western authors to
act in defense of the samizdat magazine "Jews in the USSR"
(11, p. 120).

17-06-1975

Interrogation of Ida Nudel on documents relating to
Prisoners of Zion (25).

29-06-1975

Two groups of refuseniks meet with 10 senators, led by
Hubert Humphrey, in Jacob Javits’ room at the Hotel Russiya
(25).

29-06-1975

Visit to Moscow of fourteen senators led by Hubert Humphrey.
The visit lasted from June 29 to July 5, 1975 (25).

02-07-1975

A provocation was staged against activist Lev Roitburd at
the Odessa airport aimed at preventing his departure to
Moscow, and subsequently on the basis of this provocation
Roitburd will be sentenced to two years imprisonment (22,
Dina Beilin).

05-07-1975

A 57 page new edition of the dissident "Chronicle of Current
Events” begins to circulate in Moscow. Dated May 31st,
the latest edition is the 36th
to appear since 1968. (DM) (11, p. 121).

14-07-1975

Intourist announces that "tourist-Zionists will be regarded
as “interfering in Russia’s internal affairs”. The
announcement follows a similar warning in the Soviet weekly
Nedelya. (11,
p. 121).

22-07-1975

The Presidents Conference of Major American Jewish
Organizations and National Conference on Soviet Jewry issue
a joint statement opposing changes in the Jackson-Vanik
Amendment without parallel improvement in the USSR’s
restrictions on emigration. (DM) (11, p. 121).

The Speaker of the Netherlands Parliament Edward van Thijn,
returning from a visit to Moscow, confirms the use of
conscription in the Soviet campaign against Jewish
emigration. (DM) (11, p. 121)

01-08-1975

The “Final Helsinki Act" was signed in Helsinki at the
summit of 35 nations of Europe, USA and Canada (13, p.
183-189).

03-08-1975

Prisoner of Zion Vladimir Markman arrives in Israel after
serving three years imprisonment in the USSR (11, p. 121).

Yakov Vinarov, a 21 year old engineering student who refused
conscription into the army, is sentenced in Kiev to three
years' imprisonment for "evading military service". (DM)
(11, p. 121

26-08-1975

Odessa activist Lev Roitburd receives a two year sentence of
imprisonment "for resisting arrest" during visit to USSR of
US Senate delegation (11, p. 122).

21-08-1975

Isaac Yulitin, a 35 year old Doctor of Mathematics, is
sentenced to one year imprisonment on charges of attempted
smuggling, having been arrested at Leningrad airport enroute
to Israel (11, p. 122).

25-08-1975

Anatoly Malkin, a 20 year old Jewish student of metallurgy,
charged in Moscow with evading military service after
applying for an exit visa to Israel, is sentenced to three
years’ imprisonment (11, p. 122).

29-08-1975

Colonels Lev Ovsischer and Yefim Davidovich and other
Zionist activists protest imminent screening in Minsk of new
anti-Zionist documentary film, "The Secret and the Obvious".
(d.or.) (11, p. 122).

02-09-1975

Jewish leaders agree in Paris to hold a Second World
Conference on Soviet Jewry in Brussels in February 1976.
(11, p. 95).

Jewish activists in Kiev were not allowed to attend the Babi
Yar commemoration ceremony on the 34th
anniversary of the Nazi massacre of Jews (25, 11, p. 95).

30-09-1975

Two Jewish cemeteries in Kiev are reported to have been
desecrated by vandals. (11, p. 95).

01-10-1975

Sylva Zalmanson begins the second week of her hunger strike
outside the UN building in New York in support of her
husband Edward Kuznetsov and her brothers Israel and Wolf
Zalmanson who are still imprisoned in the USSR.
(11, p. 95, DM).

02-10-1975

Dr. Mikhail Stern’s son Viktor arrives in London to launch a
world-wide campaign for the release of his father from a
Soviet prison camp. (11, p. 95)

08-10-1975

Newspaper Sovetskaya Belorussia
"accused" Refuseniks Naum Olshansky and Yefim Davidovich
that they "sold out to Zionism."

09-10-1975

Andrei Sakharov awarded Nobel Prize.

10-10-1975

Parliamentarians from 12 Western European countries form a
committee in support of Soviet Jewish emigration. (11, p.
95).

16-10-1975

The call-up of Anatoly Malkin, who refused to serve in the
Soviet army, because the authorities are using it as a
deterrent against those who want to leave, was reported in
the West. (25).

21-10-1975

The USSR permanent mission at the UN protests demonstrations
by the "Zionist hooligan groups" held October 8th-9th.
(11, p. 96).

June Jacobs was elected Chairman of the British National
Council for Soviet Jewry (11, p. 124).

13-09-1976

A week of activities on behalf of Moscow activist Ida Nudel
begins in Great Britain. (11, p. 103)

18-09-1976

A group of twenty activists, including Vladimir Slepak,
Boris Chernobilsky, Yosef Ahs and other Jewish activists,
submitted to the Supreme Soviet a letter of protest against
unsubstantiated refusals. The letter sets out requirements
for written refusals of exit visas and the possibilitiy to
appeal in the presence of a refusenik (22, Dina Beilin).

20-09-1976

The widow and daughter of Colonel Yefim Davidovich arrive in
Israel on December 27. (11, p. 103)

Jews celebrate the New Year outsider the Moscow Choral
Synagogue without police interference. (11, p. 103).

16-10-1976

Enid Wurtman, co-chairman of the Union of Council for Soviet
Jewry, and Connie Smukler arrive on a visit to Moscow (22,
Enid Wurtman).

18-10-1976

Sit-in demonstration of refuseniks in the Supreme Soviet,
demanding an answer to a letter filed by Refuseniks a month
earlier. The demonstration was attended by twelve people. In
the evening, participants were detained, taken into the
woods and released (22, Dina Beilin, Enid Wurtman).

19-10-1976

The New York Times published an article
about the demonstration on October 17 in the Supreme Soviet
(22 , Enid Wurtman).

19-10-1976

13 activists held a demonstration at the Supreme Soviet. At
the end of the day participants were detained, taken into
the woods, and some Refuseniks were beaten up by the police.
Zahar Tesker’s nose was broken. (aa.).

19-10-1976

Press-conference was organized by Natan Sharansky at
Vladimir Slepak’s apartment in connection with beating of
activists in the forest near Moscow, following the
demonstration at the Supreme Soviet, Moscow (22, Dina
Beilin).

19-10-1976

A joint Israeli-American committee meeting in New York
agrees in principle to restrict aid to “drop-outs” in
Vienna (11, p. 103).

20-10-1976

Demonstration of twenty-eight activists in the Supreme
Soviet with a demand to punish those who were guilty of
beating of Jewish activists the previous day as well as to
respond to the letter filed by Refuseniks a month earlier.
They attain a promise to be received by Shchelokov the next
day (22, Dina Beilin).

20-10-1976

David Shipler article in The New York
Times about the beating of
activists after the demonstration (22, Enid Wurtman).

21-10-1976

Demonstration of fifty-two activists at the reception room
of the MIA; reception of representatives of the
demonstrators include Vladimir Slepak, Anatoly Sharansky,
Boris Chernobylsky by Minister Shchelokov. After reception
the demonstrators with yellow stars on the chest passed
through the center of Moscow to the reception room of the
Central Committee, where they were detained and taken
outside of Moscow. Four - Victor Elistratov, Mikhail Kremen,
Arkady Polishchuk and Boris Chernobilsky were separated from
the others and taken away. (22, Dina Beilin).

22-10-1976

Demonstration of forty activists in the Supreme Soviet,
march out of the Supreme Soviet building to the reception
room of the Central Committee with yellow stars on their
clothes. Albert Ivanov received Vladimir Slepak, Yosef Ahs
and Anatoly Sharansky. At the end of the day they were
detained and taken to a drunkards facility, all were
registered, a report was written down, and they were
forewarned. (22, Dina Beilin).

23-10-1976

Information was received that Victor Elistratov, Mikhail
Kremen and Arkady Polishchuk were detained for 15 days, and
Boris Chernobilsky was placed in Butyrskaya prison (22, Dina
Beilin).

25-10-1976

Demonstration at the Central Committee with yellow stars.
Most of the protesters were arrested on their way to the
Central Committee, at home or near home. All in all 17
people were arrested and sentenced to 15 days of detention:
Vladimir Slepak, Anatoly Sharansky, Yuli Kosharovsky, Yosef
Beilin, Felix Kandel, etc. Six women were fined 20 rubles
each. Criminal cases on hooliganism charges were opened
against Yoseph Ahs and Boris Chernobilsky. A month later
they will be released for lack of evidence. (22, Dina
Beilin).

28-10-1976

Appeal of Maria Slepak to Senator Edward Kennedy in defense
of Boris Chernobilsky and Joseph Ahs; during this time her
own husband was serving 15 days of detention (Letter of Mary
Sepak).

00/11/1976

A book "The Long Road to Freedom" was issued by samizdat.

02-11-1976

Presidential elections in the U.S. were won by the
Democratic party candidate Jimmy Carter.

The Organizing Committee of the symposium on Jewish culture
appealed to a number of international organizations and
public figures with a call for support (27, p. 257).

08-12-1976

Deputy Minister of Culture Popov warns organizers of the
symposium on Jewish culture of the unacceptibilty of the
symposium (27, p. 262).

10-12-1976

KGB increases the pressure on the organizers of the
symposium and starts questioning main activists (27, p.
269).

14-12-1976

A new wave of searches and interrogations of members of the
organizing committee of the symposium on Jewish culture in
Moscow, Kiev, Leningrad, Gorky, Minsk, Tbilisi and other
cities, which lasted until December 20th (27, p. 270-276).

14-12-1976

Meeting of organizers of the symposium on Jewish culture
with Aaron Vergelis, editor in chief of the newspaper "Sovetishe
Heimland” (27, p. 273).

21-12-1976

Scheduled unofficial symposium on Jewish culture in the USSR
is prevented from taking place by the authorities.

List of sources
to the chronology of events

Employed abbreviations: a.a. - the archive of the author;
DM - date of a message (not of an event); t.m.- a telephone message from Moscow in real time.
Other sources of information are listed below. Their numbers are given in the chronology in parentheses.

Joel L. Lebowitz, James S. Langer, William I. Glaberson, Editors, "Fourth International conference on collective fenomena", Annals of The
New York Academy of Sciences, Published by The New York Academy of Science,
ANYAA9 337, 1-223, 1980.

Joel L. Lebowitz, Editor, "Fourth International conference on collective fenomena", Annals of The New York Academy of Sciences, Published by The New York Academy of Science,
ANYAA9 373, 1-233, 1981.

David Zilberman, "Hunger-strike and demonstration of Soviet Jews in Moscow on March 10-11, 1971", Diary of a demonstrator, The Legend of the exodus from Russia,
Nazareth Elit, Israel, 1971.